The Legend of Zelda: The Mesmerizer
by Liev Ragnarok
Summary: "This is but one of the legends of which the people have forgotten: A great hero disappearing and forgotten in one night, a lurking evil hidden inside an odd trinket mesmerizing the people of the land, and hundreds of years passing of no knowledge of the evil. With the land seeming to be a peace, what reason would there be to save it?" AU: Multiple LoZ timeline characters combined.
1. The Beginning

Hey there all! Liev Ragnarok here with an exciting new story!

A Legend of Zelda!

I have an interesting plotline for this, so I hope it intrigues you to read and support it!

_Now rated T due to Chapter 5._

-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-

A long, long time ago, there existed a man of great heroism. The man fought off an evil that plagued the land, and saved its people from great destruction. He was praised as a mighty figure being called a hero. With the destruction of the great evil, he granted the land with many years of peace. His story was told over many times to children and adults alike until it eventually became a legend.

Peace, of course, is never maintained forever… Or is it?

One day, a strange, old man was found in the wastelands outside of the land's province. He was very frail and at the brink of dying. The Hero discovered this old man and quickly took him back home with him and took care of him, but unknown to the Hero an odd trinket amongst the man's belongings held an unyielding power of malevolence.

Without warning, the trinket burst into a dangerous dark shadow and overtook the hero. Being that the hero was of light the dark shadow could not corrupt him nor kill him. Terrified of this power, the dark shadow left the hero. It fled into the sky where the hero could not chase it.

Confused on to what had happened, the hero questioned the old man. The old man answered weakly:

"I am sorry…. I have brought a terrible evil to your land. I knew of what happened to me, but yet I was still under the creature's mesmerizing powers. He brought me here to take this land as his own."

Afraid of the old man's words, the Hero rushed back to the people and found the dark shadow covering the city. Unrelenting in his courage, the hero dashed into the darkness to save the people.

Upon entry, the Hero was astonished at what he saw.

There seemed to be no problems, darkness, or destruction in the city. It looked completely normal and the people were bustling about as if their life was at peace. The hero was startled and begun to wonder if he was merely within a bad dream.

That, however, changed the moment he tried to come in contact with someone.

The person seemed to ignore his existence and didn't even flinch or budge at the Hero's touch. Troubled, the Hero ran through the streets and headed for the castle to speak with the King. Unfortunately, even when he came to the castle no one seemed to notice him.

The Hero began to panic and made his way as best as he could to the throne room. He found the King there talking joyfully to his children. The scene made the Hero relax and he approached to consult with the King.

Neither the King nor his children responded.

The Hero could not tell if this was a bad dream, or if the dark shadow he had seen encompassing the city was the cause.

"You do not exist." The Hero turned around at hearing a strange, deep voice behind him.

Nothing was there.

"You will never exist within my world." This time the voice came from in front of him making him turn back around.

Again, nothing was there. He drew his sword becoming tense.

The Hero shouted out for the voice to show itself, but there was no reply to his request.

"Who are you?" The Hero asked and this time shadows formed in front of him. It didn't form into an ideal shape, but it was definitely the shape of a man.

"I am the Mesmerizer. You will leave and never return. If you do, these people will **die.** This land and its people are **mine** now."

Gripping his sword, the Hero slashed down the shadows in front of him, but blinked in surprise at their disappearance. He searched around greatly, but could not see or feel the evil again.

Suddenly, his body was wrapped around by shadows. He tried to fight back, but to no avail. Darkness swarmed over him until he could not see anything. He knew he had not lost conscious, but he couldn't move nor had his sight returned. He knew not how long time had past, but eventually he could see the light.

Without warning, though, he was dropped from the sky and fell into the river near the city. The Hero gulped for air and raced to the surface. He pulled himself out of the river and looked back towards the city. Darkness still covered it like an unrelenting storm. Unsure what to do now, the Hero traveled back to his home.

There, he still found the frail old man within his bed. Wanting to know more, the Hero questioned him again.

"The Mesmerizer is a great evil that, by his name, mesmerizes great amounts of people to his liking so he can control their lives. He has no desire to hurt the people, but merely to use them as puppets for his selfish pleasure. He only sees them as toys for him to play with. Yet, in the land I came from he was vanquished by three great goddesses that were only able to imprison him within a trinket as it was impossible to destroy him as he was of the darkness itself.

"Unbeknownst to the goddesses, though, he was gaining power within the trinket, and eventually he came to me. I had the will to not be completely overtaken by his power, but he still took over my mind. Knowing the goddesses might strike him again, he left to find a land that was not protected by godly things, but one that was protected merely by its own people.

"Thus, he found this land and knew of your deeds. He led me into the wastelands where you would inevitably find me and take me to your home. Once safely arriving, he would kill you and take the land. Fortunately, you seem to possess a strong light similar to the goddesses preventing him from doing you harm.

"Although, there is nothing you can do. I have seen his memories and have come to know the evil that once ruled your land. He is much stronger than that evil and you will never be able to defeat him as you are now."

The Hero was astounded at the tale of this man, but shook his head knowing he wouldn't give up and that he needed to save his people. The old man took the Hero's hand and shook his head.

"I am sorry to say this, but you are powerless. If you do not wish to see your people harmed… the only thing you can do is leave. As I have said, no harm will come to them. He is afraid of your power, but knows you cannot do anything against him as you are now. You must one day return with a greater power to defeat him."

Knowing but not fully accepting that the old man was right, the Hero left. He and the old man travelled far away to seek a power that could destroy the Mesmerizer. The Hero left heartbroken from the land that had yield him as a Legend, but now knew not of such an existence.

Without hope, the Hero vanished from the land never seeming to return.

The Mesmerizer kept his word. He never harmed the people, yet never freed them from his grasp. His power grew enormous until one day it encompassed more than just the land's province, but even beyond. Eventually, the Mesmerizer fell into a deep sleep, yet his powers remained intact over the land.

Even with the Mesmerizer no longer at play, all within the Mesmerizer's power remained forever in a land of phantasm peace.

What became of that Hero? Hundreds of years past and no knowledge of the Hero ever appeared again.

With a land under control with no indication needing of rescue, who would know to save it?

That, our friends, is where the story begins…

-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-

What do you think? It's a little rough, but the idea has been with me for awhile. If you have any comments about it, please let me know!


	2. Descendents

The name of Link's mother is made up while Link's father's name comes from the Oracle of Ages manga.

-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-

A soft breeze blew across a large meadow of green. Within the meadow were cows, oxen, and horses of various sizes and colors. They roamed the meadow eating grass and flitting around freely. There were no fences to keep them within, but nor would they leave as they did have a master.

Across the meadow near the stream of a river lay one of their masters, a boy of seventeen. He was underneath the shadow of a tree and very much asleep. His short, golden hair rustled softly against his face in the wind not disturbing him at all. A young horse with brown/red hair and a white mane laid beside him sleeping as well.

"Link!" A voice of a woman called out not too far away from the boy's position. He didn't move as he had not heard the voice at all. "Link, where are you?"

Several footsteps pounded nearby until they came to a stop by the boy. The horse near him awoke and slowly perked up her head looking at the newcomer that had arrived. Knowing what the person wanted, she nudged the boy in the side until he awoke himself.

He yawned greatly as he slowly sat up smacking his lips a few times. He looked around groggily until he turned to look at a fair-haired woman with long, golden hair. Her eyes glittered a beautiful blue that shown lovely, but there was a frown upon her face making it not so lovely.

"Link, there you are. What have you been doing this entire time?" The woman asked the groggy boy.

"Sorry about that, Mother. I decided to take a nap with Epona," Link grinned sheepishly as he reached down patting the young horse.

"Oh, of course you were…" Link's mother sighed before standing up and reaching a hand out. "Your father is coming home, so let's go greet him shall we?"

Link took his mother's hand enthusiastically and was pulled to his feet. Epona stood up with him and shook her mane before trotting away up the hill towards where the other horses nested. Link smiled after her before following after his mother towards the house on top of the hill.

Once on top, Link could see all around him. The meadow lay across the land in a circle around their home with a few trees darting here and there. A river ran across the east side of the meadow with a large forest beyond it. To the other side on the west side was a vast land that eventually led to the mountains which spread out to the north and south making the place where Link and his family lived hidden from all. Only the forest seemed to be a path out of the meadow, but he and his family rarely entered.

"Link!" A soft, but high-pitched voice of a girl reached Link's ears before he turned around to be hugged by a young child of eleven with golden hair held back in two lowered ponytails.

"Aryll, don't surprise me like that," Link laughed as he picked up the girl and swung her around.

"Ahaha," Aryll giggled as she hung on tightly, "Big Brother, you're making me dizzy!"

Link laughed again before placing his sister down and patting her head. He heard a sigh and turned to look behind him seeing their mother give him a small frown. He smiled at her, grinning, as he picked up Aryll into his arms. Their mother couldn't help but smile back at them and shook her head.

"Oh, what would I do without you two?" She pondered as she slowly sat down on a barrel.

"Run around chasing Cuccos all day?" Link suggested with a chuckle.

"Ha! Don't make fun of me," the mother pouted turning away from her children making them laugh.

A few moments later, Aryll began to fidget in Link's arms making him set her down. She raced down the hill making Link smile as he knew who was approaching. Slowly, a man appearing to look very similar to Link, except older, walked up the hill with a bag over his left shoulder and Aryll held in his right arm. He smiled softly as he approached Link and his mother before bending down to kiss his mother.

"Raven… I'm glad you're home," Link's mother smiled as she gently took Aryll from the Raven's arms.

"It is good to be home, Ami, and also very wonderful to see my children in such high spirits." Raven rubbed Aryll's head before turning to Link to grip hands together with him. "How have you been since I've been away, my boy?"

"Always doing well, Father," Link responded with a grin before taking Raven's bag.

"Excellent, so you won't mind practicing the sword with me later?"

"Raven!" Ami suddenly shouted lightly punching Raven's arm.

"We'll be fine, my love. You know we always are." Raven grinned at his beloved wife who glared at him furiously. Link watched them stare at each neither wishing to stop first. He gave a light sigh knowing who was going to win, and to back this up Raven leaned down and kissed Ami holding her face. Link rolled his eyes turning his face away not interested in his parent's romance.

"Fine…" Ami muttered with an embarrassed expression looking away, "but you better be back before dinner!" And with that, Ami grabbed Aryll's hand and walked into the house. Link and Raven exchanged grins before heading out to the shed where the weapons were stored.

-oO0-o)

"Papa, tell us about the Hero again…" Aryll asked as she snuggled up against Link.

Link, Raven, Ami, and Aryll were all laid out upon the grass staring up at a starry sky. It was well past bedtime, but Raven had wanted to spend some time with his family outside which Ami could not refuse.

"Ah, he was a great hero… It is a shame that his existence was long forgotten," Raven gave a sigh closing his eyes.

"But you never forgot, Father," Link piped up as he stared at the sky.

"Yes, your grandfather would always tell me it so I would never forget," Raven answered giving a light smile.

"Papa pleaaaaase," Aryll begged getting fed up with things they already knew.

"Alright, alright," Raven laughed as he sat up and looked across the meadows.

"A long time ago, there was a land cursed by a great evil. In that land, the people had little hope of taking down the evil and many failed to do so. When all hope was lost, and they thought the destruction would take them, a young warrior that had not been permitted to fight stepped forward to confront the evil.

"It was a long battle and near the end it looked as if the evil would take his life, but then a surge of energy and light swirled from his body giving him the courage and power to strike the evil down and destroy it.

"He saved the land and its people and was branded as a hero. Eventually, he became a legend among them always coming to save the people from danger. Unfortunately, after many years another great evil from a land full of magic descended upon the people and took their minds from them. He called himself the Mesmerizer.

"The Hero had no chance to win, so he left with an old, wise man to find a power that could stop the Mesmerizer, but… he never did." Raven took a break from story telling has he laid back down to stare up at the sky.

"Papa," Aryll gently spoke as she sat up to look over at her Father, "what happened to the Hero and the land?"

"Ah, that is an interesting thing to wonder. Concerning the land controlled by the Mesmerizer well… no one knows. It has been a very long time that it is assumed that the Mesmerizer's powers dwindled and failed. The land seems to have vanished, so no one knows for sure of its condition.

"But the Hero? He wandered with the old man for a long time finding nothing that could match to the Mesmerizer's power, but soon he could no longer make his way back to the land from whence he came. He had to give up… Eventually, he and the old man came upon Kakariko Village and settled there where he met the love of his life. When she gave birth to a boy, hope surged through him when he felt that this boy also possessed light.

"And so, the Hero decided that even if he could not find a power within his own time he had left he would give hope in his descendents that they would eventually one day destroy the Mesmerizer…"

Link smiled greatly at the story and sighed giving a smile. He loved to hear it over and over again no matter how many times it was the same. He felt like it gave him courage to always face the day no matter the challenge that he'd encounter.

"Well then… time for bed, Aryll…" Ami yawned as she slowly stood up.

"Aw, but Mama…" Aryll pouted clinging to Link.

"No buts young lady," Ami gave a strict glare as she pulled Aryll into the house. "Link, you and your father better go to bed soon!"

"Yes ma'am," Link and his father replied at the same time. Ami gave a smile before shutting the door.

After the rustling around in the house was quiet, Link got up to stretch and walked down the hill. He heard footsteps behind him knowing his father was following. Link walked to where the horses nested and found Epona whom gladly awoke to greet him. He smiled happily as he softly rubbed Epona's side.

"She looks more magnificent each day she grows…" Raven muttered softly as he came next to Link.

"Indeed she does. She'll be a full mare soon and become even more magnificent."

"Link…" Link blinked at the sudden serious tone in his father's voice making him turn to look at him. "There is something I need to talk to you about… Your mother knows, but I haven't been able to tell you and your sister yet. I have been waiting for the right time…"

"What is it, Father?" Link asked as he turned to face his father.

"About the Hero, you know that it is merely not just a story, yes?" Link nodded gently. "Well, there is more… originally, our family lived in Kakariko Village for a long while with the old, wise man that you know as Sahasrahla. Eventually, your great grandparents made a decision that they needed to hide themselves."

"Hide?" Link asked looking surprised. "Was there a danger to being in the village?"

Raven nodded, "yes; they feared they felt a lurking evil coming for them even though there was never presence of it. Sahasrahla told them to leave before they were discovered. They entered the Lost Woods and eventually came upon this meadow where the rest of our ancestors grew up. They weren't wrong to hide, though, because… they are the descendents of the Hero from that legend."

Link stared blankly as his father finished his statement. At first, he thought his father was kidding around and just making a silly joke to encourage him to work better on the farm. But when he saw the seriousness on his father's face never dissipate he knew it wasn't a joke.

"Then… Father, have you been training me to not only learn how to wield a sword, but also to learn to defend myself and fight?" Link asked feeling taken back by this.

"Yes, because it is now time… our ancestors felt that they could never seek out the power that would stop the Mesmerizer because there were no leads as to a power… But I think I've finally found something. There's a land supposedly called Hyrule that yields a great power… It's also said that the three great goddesses that first imprisoned Mesmerizer inhabit that land as well. I was about to head out there, but…"

Link knew where this was going and gave a light nod, "but you're getting too old and have begun to get sick to make such a travel anymore." Raven gave a nod to Link before looking away. Link smiled and placed a hand on his father's shoulder making him look back. "I always did want to travel."

Link watched as his father's face went from sadness to a soft happiness of a gentle smile. He hugged his father tightly before grinning.

"You don't have to leave," Raven began as he hugged his son back, "but when you do… Be safe and know you can always return here if you find yourself lost in your travels."

"Of course, Father. How can I forget about my family?"

-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-

Thus, Link understands his destiny, but will it go smoothly? What kind of perils will he face when he leaves his home to seek out this supposed land by the name of Hyrule?

Aaaand, there you go with the first two chapters with a plotline and introduction of Link and his family explained. It's rather simple and quick at this point, but know that I do have more interesting ideas for the future!


	3. The Goddesses and the Triforce

The cover picture for this story is posted on my dA page if you are interested in seeing it! (Fanfiction makes it a bit small to see. Doesn't help I drew it so large either. Link to my dA account is at the very bottom of my profile page. Click on gallery to find it in about the first row of deviations.)

-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-

A light breeze blew across the grassy meadows stirring the grass. It was early morning with the sun just making its rise over the forest. Link placed a hand on his forehead to shield his eyes as he looked toward the forest.

_I travel through there very soon,_ Link thought as he stared out. _Hopefully, I can make it to Kakariko Village unharmed…_

Link shook his head to clear the bad thoughts and continued to shovel the hay out of a wagon for the animals.

Many stories had been told about the forest that had eventually been called the Lost Woods. The reason for its name was because many that entered there to explore had never returned back home, and it was even thought that something happened to those that got lost. Link gave a shiver at that knowledge and rubbed the back of his neck. It was a vast forest that supposedly had no end to it. How Link's ancestors managed to find this meadow amazed him.

_Kakariko Village must not be too hard to come across,_ Link merely concluded to consult himself. _Father goes there all the time after all._

"Link!" Link looked up at hearing his mother's voice. He turned around and waved to her as she came strolling down the hill towards him. "Have you had breakfast yet?" She asked when she finally approached him.

Link shook his head. He sniffed the air and smiled as he looked down into the basket his mother held in her left arm. He could smell the wonderful, fresh scent of newly baked biscuits. His mother gave a giggle as she pulled one out and tossed it to him. Link gladly grabbed it and took a bite out of it, happily.

"It's like I never food you with the way you gulp down food," Ami sighed shaking her head before putting the basket on the wagon next to Link. "Don't forget that today is the day you play with your sister, so don't overwork yourself."

"Yes, Mother," Link muffled out through the rest of his biscuit. Ami smiled softly before heading back up the hill.

Link wiped his mouth of the biscuit before grabbing another one. He covered the basket and went back to work.

A few hours later, Link was finally done with his work. He plopped down against a pile of hay that was left for the horses as he finished off the rest of the biscuits. He took a gulp of water from his jug before closing his eyes to relax. Something soft and heavy plopped down next to him. He gave a smile knowing it was Epona and reached over gently petting her mane.

"Epona… we're going on a journey soon… I know it'll be rough without your herd, but I wouldn't want to make this journey without you." Link ruffled Epona's mane as he spoke. He felt a nose touch his hand softly knowing that that was Epona's response. She wanted to go with him as well. "Thank you, girl…"

A soft smile appeared on Link's face as he remembered how Epona was born.

It was a dangerous winter as there had been a drought before in the summer. One of the mares had become sick, but was at the point of giving birth. Link, being that he was thirteen at that time, had to call his father out to help. They had gotten the mare into the barn as best as they could, but it looked as if she wasn't going to make it at all. The foal was going to be born, so Link had to help his father help the mare give birth.

It had been successful, but they had lost the mother. But it wasn't over; the foal was weak and was at the point of dying herself. Link rushed out into the storm that was brewing knowing there was a certain winter lily that was meant to help cure frail and sick young. It had taken him awhile and he was at the point of getting sick himself, but he had finally found it under a tree near the river. Quickly, he had taken it back and force fed the foal into eating it.

Link prayed to the goddesses that the foal would make it. Fortunately, there was another mare that had given birth not too long ago. She was able to suckle the newborn foal since her mother had died. Link, not wanting to leave the foal, had stayed with her all night. In the morning, the foal had woken him up being bright eyed and fully healthy. Link smiled joyfully and softly petted the foal that was now attached to him.

"I'll call you, Epona."

Link slowly opened up his eyes coming back from his memory to see two bright, blue eyes staring at him. He gave a yelp and sat up quickly before taking a deep breath and grumbling as he heard a burst of giggling.

"Aryll, how many times have I told you not to scare me?" Link asked as he looked down at his sister who was now rolling on the grass.

"I lost count on the first time, Big Brother," Aryll giggled as she sat up with tuffs of grass in her hair. Link grinned and knelt besides her as he took the grass out. "What are we going to play?"

"What would you like to play?" Link asked as he picked her up.

"Can… I ride Epona? I want to see the entire farm on her back! Pleaaaase?" Aryll pleaded giving Link unblinking, large eyes. Link twitched slightly before giving in and looked to Epona.

Epona stared at Link before slowly getting to her feet and coming up next to him. Link gently placed Aryll on her back before placing his hand on Epona's face softly.

"Now, Aryll, if it starts to feel uncomfortable, you tell me, alright?" Link asked as he began to lead Epona out.

"Yes, Big Brother," Aryll responded cheerfully.

-oO0-o)

Link pulled Aryll off of Epona and gently placed her on the ground. Aryll hugged Link's leg as he softly patted Epona. Epona butted his shoulder before galloping off to the other horses. Link picked up Aryll into his arms before heading into the house.

By the time they had gotten back a light sprinkle had started to fall. The rainy season was starting soon making Link weary about waiting to leave. If he didn't leave soon, he'd have to wait until after the rains to do so. That wouldn't be for a month or two, and he didn't have the time to waste with that.

"Ah, Link, Aryll, did you two have fun today?" Raven's voice sounded from the living room as Link and Aryll entered the house.

"Yes, Papa! I got to ride Epona," Aryll happily announced. Link placed her down letting her run over to their father who made an appearance into the hallway leading to the main door.

"It was a very nice ride until it began to sprinkle. We had to come back earlier than I had thought," Link responded as he ruffled sprinkles out of his hair.

"Ah, the rainy season is starting…" Raven commented as he gently rubbed Aryll's hair. "We'll have to make sure to put the hay in the bins then."

"Will do, Father," Link nodded to him before heading up the stairs that lead to his and Aryll's rooms. "I'm going to go change before lunch."

"Alright," came the response from his father as Link went up the stairs.

Link opened the door to his room before closing it and locking it up with the latch on the door. He pulled off his shirt and tossed into the dirty laundry bin. He looked outside his window as he headed to his dresser to notice the rain beginning to pour down more heavily making him frown.

_I hope this doesn't last too long… But I will leave once it lets up._ Link gave a small sigh before grabbing a fresh shirt and putting it on. Quickly, he grabbed his comb brushing through his hair before heading back down to the kitchen.

After dinner and cleanup, Link and Aryll played puzzle games since they couldn't go back outside to play. Raven had taken care to gather up the animals with Ami to let Link rest and watch Aryll.

Aryll had won several times as she had developed a good sense at winning puzzles. Link might have been holding back some, but he was impressed at her skills.

"Yaaay! Now can I have a candy?" Aryll asked after her eleventh win. "You said I could have a candy when I won as many as my age."

"Yes, I did say that," Link grinned as he got up and grabbed a lollipop out of the jar on top of a high shelf. It was placed up there so Aryll didn't try to eat too many at once. Link sat back down and gave the lollipop to Aryll who gladly took it. Aryll then got up, grabbed a story book, and sat into Link's lap.

"Can you read me a story?" Aryll asked softly as she stared up at Link.

"Hey, hey aren't you a little big to be sitting in my lap?" Link asked laughing as he took the book. Aryll gave a pouty face making Link rub her head before looking at the title of the book she grabbed. "Oh, the story about the three goddesses, hmm? You really like this one, don't you?"

"Mmmhmm, I find their story very interesting."

"Heh, alright. We haven't read it in a while, so it'll be nice to hear it again." Link cleared his throat and repositioned himself so he wouldn't go numb with Aryll in his lap before beginning.

"Before life began, before the world had form, three golden goddesses descended upon a chaotic world. They were Din, the Goddess of Power, Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the Goddess of Courage.

"Din, with her strong flaming arms, cultivated the land to create the earth. Nayru poured her wisdom onto the earth to give the spirit of law to the world. Farore's rich soul created all life forms who would uphold the law.

"These three great goddesses returned to the heavens, leaving behind the golden sacred Triforce. Since then, the Triforce has become the basis for the world's providence. Where the Triforce stood became sacred land.

"The Triforce was of three parts that consisted of the Triforce of Wisdom, the Triforce of Power, and the Triforce of Courage. As a whole, the Triforce had the power to grant the wishes of one who touches it.

"However, the way the Triforce granted these wishes are a direct reflection of the heart of the wisher. If one pure of heart touches it with all three essences in balance, the world would enter a golden age. If one with an evil heart touches it without all three in balance, disaster will strike. The Triforce does not differentiate between the two; it merely reflects and grants the wishes.

"So to prevent one with an evil heart from gaining the Triforce, the goddesses placed a barrier over the Triforce forcing those that wished to touch it to enter the Sacred Realm. Many tasks were laid out so that one of a pure heart would be able to accomplish these tasks and gain access to the Triforce leading the world into a golden age.

"The goddesses, content with their accomplishments, never departed from the heavens again, but some say that their soul and essences live on within each other the Triforce parts…"

Link closed the book slowly blinking upon what he just read. Aryll happily took the book from him flipping through it to look through the pictures.

_Three great goddesses? A great power that can change the land merely by a direct reflection of the heart of a wisher?_ Link frowned as he placed his head on top of Aryll's looking down to watch her flip through the book. _This sounds awfully familiar to me… But why?_

Link couldn't figure it out and not even when Raven and Ami had come back from taking care of the animals.

"Oh," Ami started as she sat down on a couch, "it feels like we just ate lunch, but it's already time for supper. I'm almost tempted to wait awhile longer."

"No!" Both of Ami's children shouted at the same time, "I'm hungry."

Ami laughed greatly at how her children were in sync when they were hungry before getting up and stretching.

"Ami, take a moment to relax before starting dinner. Our children can wait," Raven commanded as he pushed his wife back onto the couch. Ami pouted her face but smiled when Raven sat down next to her.

Link picked up Aryll into his arms making her squeal as he carried her up to her room. "Play in here until supper is ready. I'm going to go wash up."

"Mmkay, Big Brother!" Aryll smiled before going over to her chest full of toys. Link smiled as he halfway closed her door before heading off into his room.

-oO0-o)

After his bath and eating supper, Link finally found a time to talk to his father alone now that he had been able to figure something out with his earlier thoughts.

"Father, you know this story?" Link asked showing Raven the book about the goddesses, "well I've started wondering if it really isn't just a story at all."

"Hmm? You think there is some truth to this?" Raven asked as he flipped through the book.

"I do, because I remember the story of the Hero and of the old man Sahasrahla. If I remember correctly, did he tell the Hero about the place he came from had three great goddesses?" Link mentioned as he sat down next to his father.

"Ah, yes indeed he did. It could be any three goddesses though, why do you believe it is these three?" Raven didn't seem to understand what Link was getting at.

"How many goddesses have you read stories about? I haven't read any, but of these three. Even if Sahasrahla didn't mention the name of the goddesses, they would still be well known I assume in the land they came from. These books we have were originally something you picked up from your travels to Kakariko Village. Kakariko Village might be relatively small, but I imagine they must get their supplies imported from a larger village or city."

"That does make sense. Alright, let us go with your theory that these goddesses are real. What makes you ponder over them so?"

Link leaned back and stared up at the ceiling trying to image the book in his mind. "The Triforce they mention. What if that's the great power you thought that yielded in the land called Hyrule? It's possible, isn't it? Even you, yourself, mentioned that the three great goddesses that imprisoned the Mesmerizer had once inhabited that land. It could be these goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore."

Link glanced over at his father when he heard the book shut. He could see that his father was in thought over what Link had theorized.

Rain thumped against the house as silence enveloped the living room. Link leaned forward placing his hands together waiting patiently for his father to get his thoughts together.

_It might just be a theory I concluded, but now I can't shake the feeling that I might actually be right._ Link thought. _It's hard to believe that the Hero never found this power though. Are the tasks to gain entry into the Sacred Realm really that difficult?_

Finally, Raven spoke up looking at Link. "I think you are right, Link. I cannot come up with any other conclusion from what I know of the Hero's legend. Yet, it makes me wonder why the Hero never found out about this himself especially if Sahasrahla knew of these goddesses himself. If he did, he might have come from Hyrule and known of the Triforce. If that was so, he would have taken the Hero back there, but… I'm beginning to think that maybe that wasn't Hyrule. It says in this book that they descended upon a chaotic world and not just a placed called Hyrule. It's possible that the three goddesses derived from there, but eventually went to Hyrule and back into the heavens no longer being able to contact for help. I cannot be sure of this, though, as this is merely a theory. Sahasrahla, himself, might actually know more of the goddesses."

Link blinked in surprised. "Wait, I remember you said that the Sahasrahla I met as a child was the same one, but now that I think about it that doesn't make sense. He'd be hundreds of years old! He would have had to have an ancient power…"

"And I believe he does. He came from a land of magic after all… Also, this book is old; the story is from a very long time ago and was probably believed to be a foundation book for the world. Although, for some reason it has been turned into a folktale for children to read and enjoy. When this book was changed and why the Hero never considered the Triforce makes me worried if there is something that was at play that the Hero never had noticed… "

Link couldn't say anything to his father's words, but he pondered about them.

"It is late," Raven got up with a stretch before placing the book into the bookshelf, "get some sleep for we might have a rough day tomorrow if the rain continues."

"Yes, Father," Link replied as he watched his Father leave the room. Link sat there for a moment in silence before finally getting up and heading into his room to sleep.

-oO0-o)

Sun shone brightly through Link's window blinding him. Link groaned as it awoke him before he turned over and pulled the blanket over his head.

For a minute, Link laid there groggily before throwing the covers off and racing to his window.

_It's stopped raining! And it looks as if the weather will be fine today._ Link sighed relief as he stretched out his arms. The rain had lasted for another two days that had not been looking to let up at all.

Slowly, Link's smile that was upon his face faded away. He looked down at his hands thinking how he told himself he would leave the first chance the storm broke. _I should get ready so I can say goodbye to everyone…_

Not wanting to waste precious daylight, Link quickly began to change and pack the clothing he would need. He wore a light, long-sleeved white shirt with tan colored pants having a pelt on his left leg and brown boots meant for much walking and travel. Even with the warm weather, it might get a bit chilly at night.

As soon as he was done with his clothes he rolled up his sleeping bag and a pillow and tied them up tightly. With his things packed, Link grabbed a picture of his family gently placing it in his bag before combing his hair and heading out of his room.

He blinked in surprised to see his mother and father at the doorway with Aryll in their father's arms. Aryll looked very upset making Link realize that they had spoken to her already.

Ami came over to Link and hugged him softly, which he gladly returned. "Oh, my dear son… You better be safe on your journey."

"I will, Mother," Link replied placing his head against hers.

"And to visit if you're close!"

"Of course, Mother."

"Also, don't forget to not overexert yourself."

"I promise, Mother."

"And…and… don't forget your family…"

Link slowly let go of his mother and smiled at her. "I will never forget, Mother."

Ami looked as if she was going to cry, but kept a strong smile on as she led Link over to Raven and Aryll. Link placed down his bags to take Aryll from their father giving her a light hug.

"You take care of yourself, you hear? It's your turn to take care of Mother and Father," Link said as he made Aryll face him. Aryll gave a determined nod before tears began to flow down her face. Link held her close feeling as if tears threatened to come out themselves.

Eventually, Link placed Aryll down, picked up his things with another bag from his mother smelling of food, and went up to his father. Raven merely motioned with his head for Link to follow him. Raven left the house with Link, Aryll, and Ami closely behind.

Raven walked into the barn and came up next to Epona's stall. Link blinked in astonishment at the fine saddle that was on her back. Link came up next to Epona and gently petted her head as he examined the saddle.

"I have been crafting that for awhile. I hope it'll suit her well," Raven finally spoke as he picked up the bags to tie to the saddle.

"It's perfect, Father, and I can tell Epona finds it fitting as well." Link placed his head into Epona's neck feeling comforted by it.

"I'm glad to hear that… Here is the map that will lead you to Kakariko Village. It's not that hard to locate through the Lost Woods. The path has been worn to the point you can find it, but also hidden so others do not find us. Also, I have a few gifts for you." Link turned to watch as his father left the bar and returned a few minutes later with green clothes in one hand and a sword and shield on his back.

"Those are…" Link barely breathed as he reached out taking the clothing from his father's hand. He pulled the first one up to see that it was a tunic.

The tunic was a lovely green shade just like the grass in the meadow. It had a sewn in seam right down the center with sewn in lines that trailed down it. At the bottom, it split off to two sides having a flap on each side of the tunic that would cover his thighs. A smile came to Link's face as he recognized this tunic. He quickly pulled it over his head and placed it on. Next, he grabbed the hat that was under the tunic pulling it onto his head. It reached perfectly right to his bangs and just above his pointed ears being very snug. It also was green and had a sewn in line that traveled down the middle of the hat. The hat had a very long, hooded like structure that trailed all the way down to his back.

Raven handed Link brown gauntlets that Link placed on. They were fingerless letting him have the ability to feel what he gripped.

"This tunic once belonged to you, Father…"

"Indeed it did, as did this sword and shield that I give you," Raven handed a strap to Link that he immediately attached over his chest. It would help him keep the shield attached to his back so he wouldn't have to carry it all the time. Next, came the strap for the sword that Raven attached to the back of the shield strap. He placed the hilt into the strap and latched it in before handing the unsheathed sword to Link.

It was a simple sword of steel with a simple hilt design, but it was still crafted very well and wouldn't break. Link took a few feet back away from everyone to give it a swing with his left hand. He smiled that the movement was so easy and fluid even with a shield on his back. He took the shield off and practiced with both before eventually sheathing both of them onto his back easily.

"Thank you, Father…" Link smiled as he hugged his father.

"You are welcome, my son. Let these items guide and protect you well."

Before long, Link and Epona were ready and trotted out of the barn stopping at the top of the hill to look across the meadow. Link's family came up to his side to watch with him. For a moment, the family was in harmony before Epona trotted down the hill on her own eager to start their journey.

Link turned around to wave goodbye to his family before turning to grip the reins and gallop Epona towards the Lost Woods.

-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-

Link's journey finally begins with Epona at his side. They head into the Lost Woods to get to Kakariko Village. What will Link do to get the answers he seeks about the land of Hyrule?

And what of the Triforce? If it truly does exist, was it the power the Hero needed to defeat the Mesmerizer, and will Link be able to find evidence of this?


	4. Kakariko Village

-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-

Link gripped the reins on Epona as he walked across the newly, soft ground fresh from the rains. The forest was dense that rain wouldn't seep through the tops of the trees well, but with as much rain as they had gotten the last two days it was enough to cause a stream to flow on the ground.

After almost slipping through mud with Epona, Link had committed himself to walk on the ground to travel. He didn't want Epona to get hurt especially now that she had more than a person for luggage.

Link glanced back at her and gave a smile before turning to look at the road again. _I'm glad I packed light, and the only heavy things are the sword, shield, and blanket._ Reminding himself of the heavy luggage made him feel the weight of the sword and shield.

Wielding and using them a few hours a day was much different than having to constantly have them on his back. He wasn't used to the weight and had to rest a couple of times even though he was in shape to carry such things.

Epona gently pushed into his back making him glance back at her again. "What's wrong, girl?" Link asked coming to a stop. She pushed on his shoulder before walking forward and stopping by a tree to lie down. "Ah, you're tired. Alright, we'll rest then." Link walked up next to her and began to take off the luggage. Lastly, he took off the saddle and placed it slowly onto the ground. It was a bit heavy, but only about half the weight of his sister. Epona seemed content with it off and laid her head down to rest.

Having time to relax, Link took off the sword and shield and stretched out his arms. He crossed his arms and looked around the forest biting his lip.

The Lost Woods was much larger than it had looked from the meadow. It expanded much more than he had seen from the outside, and was definitely more complex than he had imagined. Link pulled out the map his father had given him and examined it.

His father had indicated the path would be worn enough to know where to go but still hard to locate. At first, Link hadn't thought much about that, but now he was thinking that that logic didn't make too much sense. Link scratched his head as he stared at the ground mumbling to himself.

"I wonder if the rainwater messed the path up…" Link said aloud. "If that's the case I'll be lost here for a while." Giving a sigh, Link placed the map back into his pocket.

Usually, Raven was only gone for about three days. Link imagined that it took a day on foot to get to Kakariko Village, and day to do his business, and then a day to get back home. If that was so, Link could be in this forest much longer than a day.

"I should have asked Father to lead me there, but… no that wouldn't have been right. I need to do this on my own." Determined, Link went back over to Epona and examined her to make sure she wasn't hurt anywhere before getting her to her feet.

She was rested enough that she didn't complain when everything was placed back on her. Set, Link set off back towards the only path he could make out in the woods.

-oO0-o)

Finally, Link had made it out. It was nighttime, but he could make out the faint light of torches and lanterns making him regret not grabbing a lantern from home.

He'd eventually found the path his father talked about noticing that it indeed was easy to know where to go once found, but hard to locate. Grass and other plant life covered the trail that it made it look just like undisturbed, forest floor. It was surprisingly not mudding and seemed to have stone to walk on.

Eager to get out of the chill that was in the air and of the forbidding rain that ached to claim the land, Link sped up but only to the point that Epona could handle. He could see a large, wooden wall surrounding the village making it hard to actually see the inside of the village. He knew it was Kakariko Village, though, as he could see the windmill just barely from here.

"Halt! Who goes there, and what be your business?" The voice of a man shouted out near the gates of the village. Link slowly came to a stop placing his hands to the side to indicate he meant no danger.

"My name is Link, son of Raven and Ami. I have come seeking shelter and Sahasrahla in Kakariko Village." Link stepped into the light with Epona to reveal himself to the guard that stood outside the gate.

The guard blinked at him for a moment before Link saw a smile. He laid his weapon to rest and shouted up to another guard to open the gates. "Link! It has been a long time since you have come to this village. I believe the last time you were just a wee lad."

Link laughed as the guard ushered him through the now open gate, "indeed it has been a while. I barely remember the village, except for the windmill."

"Ahaha, yes the famous windmill of our village. We should just be called Windmill Village!" The guard joked giving a laugh before shaking his head. "Where is your father?"

"Ah, I am on my own. I've begun traveling to explore what's outside the meadows," Link answered with a half truth. He had told himself it was better to not let anyone know the real reason he was traveling.

"I see… You say you're seeking old man, Sahasrahla? He's resting being so late, so I'll take you to the inn until morning."

"Thank you, you're quite kind to do so."

"Pleasure's all mine," the guard bowed as he walked Link over to a large, sturdy building with what looked like half the roof had hay as cover. Link realized that it was a stable for the horses of travelers. "Here's the stable for your horse. The inn's just on the other side of the wall. Tell them you're Raven's boy and I'm sure they'll let you stay for free."

"That's gracious and thank you again for your help," Link bowed his head to the guard who waved before walking back towards the front of the village. Link took all the luggage and saddle off of Epona before tying her up. "Sorry, Epona, I gotta leave you tied up, but I promise I'll be back in the morning. Rest well, girl."

Epona butted his shoulder before slowly lying down and curling up. Link softly rubbed her mane before picking up his luggage and heading to the inn's entrance.

Indeed, saying he was Raven's son did give him a free room, although it didn't seem that many had visited due to the early rains. Though, something made Link think that there was another reason of lack of travelers that the innkeepers weren't saying. If they weren't willing to tell, however, Link wasn't going to push the matter himself.

He plopped his luggage onto the side of the wall before taking off his sword, shield, and tunic. He felt exhausted from the day's journey that he didn't feel the energy to really change into more comfortable clothing. Getting into bed, Link fell asleep very quickly.

-oO0-o)

"Sahasrahla is a bit busy right now, but I'll let him know you need to talk with him. Wander the village, and I'll send a messenger later to find you."

"Thank you," Link bowed his head to the girl at the doorway to Sahasrahla's home. He'd arrived in the early afternoon to make a meeting with Sahasrahla, but apparently Sahasrahla had been busy of late and had to make time to see visitors. Link didn't mind as seeing the village was one of the things he had wanted to do.

Waving goodbye, Link turned and headed down the pathway to the main part of the village. He shifted his shoulders some as he was wearing the shield and sword, although he was afraid at first it would frighten the villagers, but a guard said it was better he wore them.

It had rained in the late night as Link had thought, but it cleared up in the morning producing a bright sky. A few clouds drifted here and there, but weren't dark enough for rain. Link smiled at the fortunate weather and climbed the last of the stairs down to the square.

Many open stall shops were spread out while children ran through to the well. They would drop things down the well before getting scolded and running off again. Link came up to a railing and leaned on it to watch. People were bustling about as they shopped, worked, or wandered around. No one seemed to have any particular goal in mind, and the atmosphere was soft and gentle.

That was until a few guards came strolling through the square. They said their pleasantries waving and checking up on things. A few shop owners spoke to them before they carried on their business. They passed by Link and gave him a bow of their heads not stopping to chat. Link looked back at the square noticing that a heavy feel fell down on the villagers.

Confused, Link decided to investigate. His first target to speak with was a shopper who had watched the guards walked on by.

"Are you alright? You seem tense," Link asked carefully.

The shopper jumped then placed a hand over his heart. "Oh, no I'm quite alright. I just had something on my mind. No worries!" He smiled at Link.

Link smiled back and bowed his head, "sorry to trouble you then."

"It's quite alright, lad," the shopper said bowing his own head before turning to go about his business.

Link looked around the square to see that the heavy feeling was gone. He placed a hand on his head thinking that perhaps he was just imagining things.

To change his mood, he decided to walk around the other parts of the town. At one end he found a path that led up to a trail going to the mountain. It was blocked off with a worker saying that avalanches and destroyed the trail. Link travelled to the other end of town to see a pen of Cuccos. Link smiled as he watched them cluck around before feeling a sharp pain in his chest. Not liking the sudden ache, Link followed the path that went past the windmill.

It led into the graveyard. It was an eerie place to be and had the feeling of great sadness. Link could see rows of the dead from over years of living here. Grief gripped him as he had never really seen or felt the death of humans before, only that of animals.

He turned to leave, but an odd feeling made him turn back and venture in. He could see many of the graves that were old, but what was disturbing was the amount of graves that were _recent_. Link knelt down by one and noticed that the date that was about a week ago or so. Link swallowed hard as he noticed that the other graves were similar in time frame.

_What… exactly happened to cause this many deaths so quickly?_ Link thought as he wandered the graveyard. Eventually, he came upon one that was very old, yet had flowers placed on it recently. Link frowned when he couldn't make out the name due to it being old and the vines covering the nameplate.

Just as he was about to examine it, he heard his name being shouted out. Link looked up quickly to see a young boy running towards him.

"Mr. Link! Old Man Sahasrahla is ready to see you," the boy said as he came to stop in front of Link breathing hard.

Link smiled at him and patted his head, "thank you, lad. You didn't have to run to find me."

"I got worried when I heard you were in the graveyard, Mr. Link. It's supposed to be haunted!" The boy exclaimed as he stood up straight. Link laughed and shook his head. "Anyway, I'll lead you to the house."

"Thank you," Link smiled again as he followed after the boy. He glanced back to the grave one more time wondering why he felt a connection to it.

-oO0-o)

"C'mon in, my boy…" A frail, old voice of an elderly man commanded softly from beyond a doorway. Link entered the room and looked over to see the elderly in yellow robes. He was sitting in a chair that looked just as old and frail as him.

"Sahasrahla, it is good to once again meet you," Link bowed respectfully as he came to sit in front of Sahasrahla.

"You have grown much… Ah, you look just like him when you wear those clothes…" A soft expression formed on Sahasrahla's face.

"You mean my father? Some say I do look exactly like him," Link gave a light chuckled, but frowned when he noticed it was not exactly what Sahasrahla was indicating. "You don't mean him at all, do you?"

"You look like the man I met so many hundreds of years ago… The one everyone refers to as the Hero."

Link blinked, surprised, that Sahasrahla would compare his looks to the Hero, or even that he could have known the Hero.

_So what father said really is true…_

"You look as if you have many questions upon your mind. Come, let me hear them all."

Gaining his composure back, Link began. He explained about the Hero's story that he could definitely see Sahasrahla zone out back into memories. When Link got to the part of the Mesmerizer, Sahasrahla was at full attention again.

"Do you believe the Mesmerizer still exists and is in control?" Link asked leaning back.

"Hrm, you do not believe that these are just fairy tales?"

"No. I know they are true. Father said that we are descendents of the Hero, and I believe him."

Sahasrahla looked thoughtful before answering. "Raven is right. He usually is… You know, I was very surprised when he first brought you here to the village with your mother when she was pregnant with your sister. You all resembled the Hero so much, that I couldn't believe the descendents had lived…"

"What do you mean?" Link gripped his chair a little bit frightened at these words.

"Your father must have told you, but your great grandparents felt an unsettling feeling all those years ago. I knew what the feeling was so I told them to run, run far away. They took their child and ran into the Lost Woods. I never heard from them again. Then, one day Raven shows up with his family and it was undeniable that he was a descendent of the Hero. He possessed the same spirit and light just as you do and all those that have come before you…"

"That's incredible that you could tell. Father didn't tell me until recently," Link leaned back in his chair then blinked at the first words Sahasrahla had mentioned. "You said they felt an unsettling feeling and you knew what it was… What was it?"

Sahasrahla stared at Link seriously before glancing out the window. "The Mesmerizer."

"W-What? He came to the village?"

"No, his power did. I had a connection to him being under his will for so long, so being able to feel his presence became second nature to me. Ah, but your ancestors… they had a different type of connection with the Mesmerizer. You know of when the Hero was attacked by the Mesmerizer?"

"Yes, the Mesmerizer couldn't control him or kill him, so he fled."

"Indeed he did, but the second attempt by the Hero the Mesmerizer was able to seep in some of his own blood into the Hero. It poisoned the Hero making him weaker day by day. When he could no longer go on with his search for a great power, he and I settled here in Kakariko Village where he was able to live out the rest of his days peacefully."

"You mean…" Link stared down at his hands before biting his lip, "the Hero was unable to find the power because he no longer could? Not just he couldn't locate it?"

"Ah, it is both. No story tells of the Hero being poisoned because only he and I knew. It was kept secret to not alarm those he cared for. Alas, though, it never escaped from him even after death."

"I don't understand."

Sahasrahla slowly stood up and came up to Link before touching Link's heart. "The blood flowed to the children as well… It may be weak now, but this allowed a small connection with the Mesmerizer. Whether it is a good or bad thing, I cannot say…"

Link touched his heart when Sahasrahla moved back to his chair. He gripped it feeling an unsettling feeling that made his nerves jump.

"So you asked if the Mesmerizer is alive. Ah, I believe he still is and still has control. Yet, I feel that something is off about that control. Not that it is weakening or growing stronger, merely that it is passive."

Link blinked over at Sahasrahla thinking on his words, "if you mean passive, perhaps he is asleep? If that is possible…"

Sahasrahla blinked slowly at Link before giving a small laugh. "Ah, I had not thought that he could be in slumber! Perhaps, that makes some sense. Also, has your father sent you here to learn more of the Mesmerizer?"

"In a way, but also to ask if you know anything about the power."

"Hrm, there is not much to say. I have never found evidence of something strong enough to beat him…"

"Then what about the three great goddesses that first imprisoned him? Were their name Din, Nayru, and Farore?" Link asked feeling desperate that he wasn't getting any answers that would lead him anywhere.

"…I never spoke those names to anyone, not even the Hero. How did you come to know of them?" Sahasrahla seemed suspicious as he stared at Link.

"There's a storybook for children that talks about them. It says how they created this world to be livable before creating a great power called the Triforce. This Triforce had an extraordinary power…"

Link went on to tell Sahasrahla about the power of the Triforce and how it related to the three goddesses. He could tell Sahasrahla had never heard of this story before. Link then told of how the great goddesses flew to Hyrule and that there lied a great power that Link said he believed to be the Triforce.

"…Y-You say this Triforce can grant any wish?" Sahasrahla asked when Link finished. Link nodded his head. "I never saw the goddesses again after the Mesmerizer took me away from my land. It was not called Hyrule. What became of them I do not even know myself. I thought they had long left the world and went back into the heavens, but to think they went to another land with a mighty power that could destroy the Mesmerizer? I do not see why they would do such a thing."

"Sahasrahla, what if… the goddesses aren't all knowing and didn't even know the Mesmerizer was loose again? They would have no reason to use it against him, so thinking their land is safe they left to protect another." Link was only theorizing, but it was the best he could come up with.

"I… hrm. You might be right, my boy…" Sahasrahla sighed with a heavy breath. "We will go with that for now. You wish to seek the land called Hyrule? I have never heard of that name, but I have heard of the words Hylian and Hylia. Perhaps it is related. I can only direct you to find another village or city that is more populated. There are more out there, yet I became much too old to even explore them myself."

"That will be good enough, thank you." Link bowed his head as he slowly got to his feet. He turned to leave but heard his name making him look back.

"That shield and sword will be good use for you… Go to the caravans; let them know I sent you, and that to not hold back any information. I assume you have noticed the tension in the air…" Sahasrahla asked as he slowly stood up to walk to Link.

"I did notice that, especially when the guards came through the square. Also, I don't remember there being a wall around Kakariko Village, plus the graveyard had so many recent tombstones…" Link shivered at the thought again, but the graveyard made him think upon the grave he was trying to examine before. "Sahasrahla, there is a grave in the very back that seems quite old more old than a lot of them. Is…this the grave I think it is?"

"Ah, if it is the Hero's grave, yes. It is his. Did you examine it?"

"I did not have the chance to."

"Good, let us keep it that way. Not knowing his name will make those that hated him and know of him less likely to hurt you if they saw that in your mind." Sahasrahla placed a hand on Link's shoulder and looked up at him. "Now, Link… The reason I mentioned about the tension is because there are monsters attacking the caravans in the Lost Woods. It wasn't until recently that they started appearing. No one is sure why, but the normal trails were usually safe are now impossible to go through without a few guards to protect the caravans. Be careful when you travel again through there, alright?"

"Yes, Sahasrahla."

-oO0-o)

Link bowed his head to the caravan worker and walked off heading back towards the inn. Many told them that they couldn't give him a ride even though he hadn't asked. The rains were coming and no caravan wanted to leave with bad weather and monsters. After the rains passed if he wanted to hitch a ride then he could. Link declined as he wanted to get going as fast as he could.

One caravan told him that it wasn't good to travel at night as sometimes _undead_ appeared. Link didn't quite believe it, but made a note of it anyway. Most of the other caravans mentioned that the monsters seemed to be Deku Baba, ChuChus from old legends, Keese, and/or on rare cases Moblin. Although, Link wasn't sure what any of those really looked like. Vague descriptions of plant, jelly things, bats, and pig-people were the most he could get.

Getting into his room, Link plopped down and stared at the maps that they were able to give them. It showed the way to many of the cities and villages to grabbed supplies from. Link decided that the closest one, the Village of the Blue Maiden, would be the best bet to try first. It was only two days on caravan, so hopefully he could shorten that to one day on horseback if the rains last night didn't make the ground worse.

Knowing what his next step was, Link changed into more comfortable clothes before lying into his bed to sleep. It wasn't too late in the evening, but he wanted to leave at first light and knew he would need plenty of rest.

-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-

Link now heads off to the Lost Woods. This time, he has to travel into the woods much farther and deeper. What awaits him inside? The dangers that Sahasrahla and the caravans spoke of were supposedly treacherous and even considered not alive.

Will Link be able to handle these on his own, or will he need to seek help?


	5. The Lost Woods

One slight correction in the story: It's the "Village of the Blue Maiden" not Blue Maiden's Village. I changed it to that!

I know that horses usually sleep standing up and also rest while standing, but for story sake let's pretend Epona can rest while lying down.

Also, this is really late because I got sick, and then my internet went down.

-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-

"Let's go, Epona," Link quietly said as he trotted into the forest on Epona's back. As he had planned, Link and Epona left Kakariko Village at the first light. The only people to notice him leave were the guards at the gate who told him to be careful as he passed.

Link was able to ride Epona this time as the ground wasn't soft and mushy. Hopefully, it would be a quick and safe ride to the Village of the Blue Maiden.

As Epona trotted through the path that led away from Kakariko Village, Link pulled out the map that was given to him. He had taken the main road from the village that the caravans mostly travelled on. From there, it would be easy to just follow the signs that would lead to the Village of the Blue Maiden. They were clearly marked on the road. The map, however, was unclear as it only covered the main roads and the villages the caravans mostly visited. If he wanted to go to more villages than they travelled to he'd have to find another map or a guide.

Suddenly, something screeched out from the sky. Link looked up quickly, startled. His left hand went to his sword as he searched around the woods. Epona slowly came to a stop and lightly stomped her foot on the ground. The screech went off again, except closers this time. Link turned to his right and gave a slight jump, but sighed removing his hand form his sword.

It was a crow sitting on a branch. It made light screeching noises as it hopped on the branch back and forth. Its beady eyes stared Link down while it cocked its head. Link took a small deep breath placing a hand on his heart.

_I need to relax. I'm getting myself spooked._ Link thought as he clicked for Epona to start walking again.

After being told that there were monsters in the Lost Woods, Link had become unsettled. He'd never actually encountered any monsters and had only seen them in stories. He was a bit worried how he'd be able to handle them. Knowing the movements of a human was way different than how a monster thought.

Link lifted up his hands and smacked his cheeks lightly before sitting up straight in the saddle. _C'mon! This isn't how Father taught me to be. He taught me to be courageous and strong. _With his confidence gained back, Link looked thoughtfully around as he and Epona travelled the main road.

It was very quiet. He heard a few birds here and there, but nothing like normal animal life that he was used to. He shivered feeling a cool mist blow past him. The rains were going to return again, so he was determined to make it to the village as quickly as possible. Epona sped up without Link's command as if knowing his thoughts. Link gripped the reins tighter as they trotted down the road.

Suddenly, Epona came to an abrupt stop making Link roll off her back. Link groaned when he hit the ground before sitting up and looking up at Epona with worry.

"What's wrong, girl?" Link asked as he got up. Although, Link froze right as he reached out to touch Epona. He thought he heard a strange noise. His eyes trailed around the forest noticing that it was very quiet. Even the birds had stopped making noises.

Swallowing hard, Link wondered if he was imaging things or not again. He took a deep breath and clambered onto Epona's back. Just as he was about to command her forward he froze again hearing the noise.

"That sounded kind of like…" Link trailed off as he turned Epona in the direction he heard the noise. It was off the path of the main road, but he was very concerned.

Epona raced through the woods going towards the noise they had heard. Finally, she came to a slow stop when they were right behind the noise. Link got off Epona quickly and stared ahead passed the bushes.

There, in the vines of a plant that was alive, was a girl with blond, long hair. She was flailing about and screaming the noise he had heard as she tried to fight for her life. Not thinking twice, Link charged in pulling his sword and swung down on the plant making it scream and flail the girl even more.

That seemed to only make it angry.

Suddenly, a vine swatted Link to the side hitting him into a tree. He winced at the sudden impact before standing up straight. His eyes widened as he finally noticed what he had failed to see.

In the middle of the plant was a large head like structure that opened up with a large tongue and teeth. Drool rolled out of its mouth as another vine twitched back and forth now aimed to attack Link. Link realized from the way that it looked that it was a Deku Baba from one of the caravans' descriptions. The plants couldn't move so they pretended to be shrubs to lure prey over then their heads and vines would pop out and capture the pretty to eat them.

Link analyzed the situation quickly. The girl was unconscious now and seemed to be bleeding from somewhere. The Deku Baba was distracted by Link leaving him some time to save the girl. The only issue was the vines that could get in Link's way, which out of nowhere flew at him giving him no more time to think.

Link ducked just as the vine smacked into the tree making a loud cracking noise. Another flung from his right. Link pulled off his shield and blocked the attack being shoved closer to the plant. He noticed his direction was right towards the mouth. Quickly, Link swung his sword down on the vine that was shoving him. A squeal broke out and the vine swiveled around and away from Link. Link winced seeing weird green splattered everywhere. He shook his head and ran toward the vines holding the girl and swung his sword cutting through them easily. She flew a bit and fell behind the bushes. Link heard a splash only now realizing there was a river there.

_I need to end this quickly,_ Link thought as he watched the plant flail in pain. No time to think on how to find a weak point, Link swung his sword in a horizontal angle cutting directly through the open mouth of the Deku Baba. The plant fell over to the ground with everything coming to a stop. Green oozed out from its body making Link somewhat queasy, but he shook his head and looked around quickly.

_Where did that girl land?_ Link listened to where the water was coming from and stumbled through the bushes feeling exhaustion weigh down on him. It was the first time he had ever fought so heavily with a sword and a shield. He hadn't realized it would be so difficult and dangerous.

Finally, Link found the river, which wasn't very fast flowing. The girl had landed halfway in the river with her head rolled back on the bank. She was still unconscious making Link worry about her condition.

Swiftly, Link placed his sword and shield down before wading into the water and grabbing a hold of her. Carefully, he turned her so he could grab under her arms and pull her across to where his possessions lied. Once on the other side of the bank, he laid the girl flat across the grass and placed his head down to her chest listening.

She was breathing.

A sigh of relief escaped Link's mouth. Some of his worry vanished, but the other worry was for the blood he saw. He examined her with his eye trying to see where she was bleeding. He spotted a cut on her leg that looked deep. Link bit his lip wondering what he could use to stop the bleeding. He got his answer as he felt a nudge from behind. He looked up seeing Epona and gave a smile.

"Good girl…" Link responded as he got up quickly giving her a light rub on the head. He walked to the bags on her side and searched through them trying to find bandages that his mother had packed. He took them out along with a few rags to clean the wound of blood and dirt.

After wrapping the wound carefully, Link sat down and pulled the girl protectively into his lap. Epona laid down on one side of him while his sword laid on the other side positioned to be used at a moment's notice. Link had no idea when the girl was going to wake, and he was afraid to move her because of her wound, so he had would wait until she regained consciousness.

-oO0-o)

Link wiped his mouth of water as he bit into a biscuit. It had been several hours already, and the girl had not woken up. He was becoming worried, but his stomach had urged him to eat before attempting anything.

Finishing his meal, Link carefully moved the girl from his lap laying her on her side. He stood up and stretched before going over to the river to wash his hands and face. As he finished he heard a groan making him turn his head to look back at the girl. He saw her twitch a little before moving onto her side. Blinking, Link got up and knelt down besides her placing a hand on her head.

"Hey," Link spoke as he lightly rubbed her head. He heard another groan before her eyes slowly blinked open. Link smiled at the beautiful sapphire eyes before him seeing them bright and alive.

Her eyes drifted around for a bit before locking onto his. He could tell she seemed surprised and he felt her body tense before slowly coming to relax.

"Who… are you?" The girl asked with a weak voice as she tried to sit up. Link helped her to a sitting position and let her rest against a tree. "And where's that Deku Baba?"

"Dead," Link responded as he sat in front of her. "I killed it to rescue you. My name's Link."

"Link…? Interesting name…" The girl grinned then winced as she tried to move her leg. "You killed it huh? I guess I have your thanks for that. Oh, and erm my name's Tetra."

"Tetra, that's a lovely name. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Link said smiling with a bow. Tetra gave a laugh making Link frown.

"You're really proper," Tetra waved her hand at Link before slumping her shoulders looking exhausted.

Link tilted his head to the side as he examined her more fully. She had odd clothing that was very pirate-y looking. A red scarf was laced around her neck that was torn in many places. She wore a dark blue vest that had torn sleeves while under that was a purple shirt. A red scarf belt wrapped around her waist with a brown belt going from her left side and angled down to her right thigh. She wore grey shorts that went slightly past her knees being a little bit torn at the ends like her vest.

Her skin was a tone darker than his while her hair was much lighter giving it a pale look compared to his golden hair. She had pointed ears like him, which was rare supposedly in these parts. None of the villagers in Kakariko Village had pointed ears.

"What are you staring at?" Tetra asked as she frowned greatly at him. Link jumped slightly and looked away with a small blush feeling embarrassed and realizing he was staring a bit too much.

"What are you doing out here?" He decided to ask turning back to her keeping the thought about her ears to himself. "It's quite dangerous to be out here alone."

At first, his words looked like they were about to offend her, but then she seemed to relax when he finished. "What about you? You're alone as well." She shot back instead of answering.

Link sweat dropped giving a smile. "I was following the road to the Village of the Blue Maiden. Also, I'm not really alone, I have Epona with me." Link gestured to Epona whom was now looking up from the sound of her name being called.

Link watched as Tetra glanced over at Epona giving a smile. "Such a lovely horse. She has a beautiful name, too."

"Thank you," Link smiled.

"The Village of the Blue Maiden, you say? Hmm, it's a small village with witches who practice odd arts."

"Really? I was under the impression that it was quite peaceful."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. They're not harmful witches, they're quite friendly actually. They just seem to enjoy weird things…"

Link gave a smile feeling a little better knowing what to expect when he came to the village.

"Anyway… thanks for saving my life, but I'm going to get going now," Tetra nodded her head to Link and started to stand up. Link stood up as well feeling worried and sad that she was going to leave.

But, she didn't get very far before stumbling and giving a groan. Link caught her before she hit the ground and helped her stand to her feet. He glanced down at her leg seeing it red again. He was going to need to change the bandage.

"You're injured, and I don't think you'll be walking anywhere anytime soon. Let me help you." Link forced her to sit back down as he stretched out her injured leg.

"I-I'm fine! Perfectly fine…" She trailed off as Link began to take the bandages off. "Alright, fine."

Link gave a small laugh shaking his head as he cleaned off her wound and began to redress it. _She sure likes the word 'fine'_.

Silence fell between the two as Link bandaged. He felt awkward being around a girl that seemed to be his age. He hadn't met any yet that weren't either older than him or younger than him. His encounter with Tetra made him feel slightly embarrassed.

"There, done," Link announced as he rolled up the bloody bandages and placed them inside a bag.

"You're… pretty good at that," Tetra mumbled crossing her arms.

"I've dressed a lot of injured animals back where I live. It's not really any different." Link stood up and placed a hand out for Tetra. "Let's go to the village together, you can ride on Epona until your leg heals."

For a moment, Tetra seemed unsure. It looked like she wasn't used to trusting people, but her face softened some before she reached out taking Link's hand. Link pulled her carefully to her feet then helped her over to Epona. With ease, Link lifted her up and placed her into the saddle.

With Tetra situated properly, Link grabbed his supplies, placed them away, and then put on his sword and shield that were now clean. They had been stained earlier from the Deku Baba's blood.

Knowing that a lot of time had been wasted, Link grabbed Epona's reins and quickly led back to the main road.

-oO0-o)

"How long was it supposed to take to get to the Village of the Blue Maiden?" Tetra asked. Link glanced back at her before turning to look forward thinking on it.

"From Kakariko Village it's… two days by caravan," Link answered, "and I was on the road for about two hours before meeting you. I think about three hours or so passed after that before we set off again."

"I see… so we're definitely not making it there before night?"

"I doubt it. We'll just rest if it comes to that."

"No, stop."

Link and Epona stopped and glanced up at Tetra at the same time. She seemed a bit frightened and worried. Link turned to her fully wondering what could have spooked her.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you even know what kind of dangers lay in these woods?"

"I've heard from the caravans about a few of them. The only thing I've encountered was that Deku Baba from earlier, though…"

"Then you don't know what it's like at night here?"

"This is my first time travelling the Lost Woods."

"You're joking, right?"

Link shook his head.

"This is going to be a nightmare… You're good with that sword?"

"I've been using a sword since I was barely ten years old. I've had seven years of practice with it."

"Practice against what?"

"My father."

Tetra groaned and laid her head against Epona's neck. Link frowned greatly crossing his arms. Her questions were beginning to bother him.

"How good were you against that Deku Baba?"

"Uh, honestly it was pretty difficult, but I managed to kill it without getting hurt."

She seemed to relax some at those words before sitting up straight. "I'm sorry to be a bother with these questions, but at night it's much worse to be roaming around than the day time. I've been able to avoid most of the enemies and fend off some, but I lost my scimitar a while back and now I've had to hide. It's been pretty hard."

"What… exactly comes out at night? One of the caravans from Kakariko Village mentioned… _undead_ things." Link managed the word out still not really believing those words.

Tetra looked seriously at Link making him feel uneasy. "Yes, they are undead. They're called Stalfos and Stalchildren. Stalfos are quite rare, but they are large humanoid beings that are nothing but skeletons. They carry different type of weapons and some have armor, but are quite deadly. The Stalchildren are less harmful, but still not a pleasant thing to fight. As the name suggests, they are small like children and are just skeletons with sharp claws. They come out as packs, walk slow, and attack mindlessly with just their hands. They're easy to dodge and hide from as their intelligence only goes as far as their sight. The Stalfos, however, can think and can be very aggressive."

Link felt dumbfounded as he stared up at Tetra. What the caravan said about there being undead was real. Tetra was not making this up to make fun of him or to scare him. She was very serious about this, and Link was going to need to be seriously prepared physically and mentally.

"Will you be alright?" Tetra asked softly. Link blinked up at her then smacked his cheeks surprising her.

"I'll be fine. It just shocked me that such things really do exist. I'll make sure that we're safe at night if we can't make it to the village in time." Link said with confidence. Tetra seemed to look more at ease making Link feel comforted. He turned around, grabbed Epona's reigns, and began walking down the road again.

It was only the afternoon, but they definitely weren't going to reach the village by then.

-oO0-o)

Rained poured heavily down on Link, Epona, and Tetra as they tried finding good cover. Evening was beginning to fall, and so far they hadn't found a good hiding camp. Link felt soggy and heavy under his tunic. He had given his coat to Tetra as the clothes on her back were the only thing she had left. Most of the stuff she had had fallen down a cliff with her scimitar.

The road was getting muddy in some places making it difficult to walk without tripping into a hole. Several times Link had fallen down, and each time that he had Tetra kept suggesting for him to ride on Epona with her. Link, however, didn't want to put too much strain on Epona's back. Carrying bags and a person in heavy rain was bad enough. She didn't need another person to make the travel worse.

_There has to be a spot around here somewhere…_ Link thought as he once again stood up from tripping. He wiped his face of mud and squinted trying to see through the rain. He was surprised with how hard it was to see considering the canopies of the trees were thick. _It must be pouring deadly above us if it's this hard in here._

"Do you want the coat?" Tetra asked when Epona came to a stop by Link's side. Link looked up at Tetra and smiled shaking his head. He could see her frown a little then give a nod looking away.

Finally, Link found a small cave for protection against the rain. Link pulled out a lantern he had grabbed at the Kakariko Village and lit the oil inside. He looked into the cave carefully. It wasn't very deep, but it was large enough to fit two people and a horse easily. Feeling comforted by the thought, Link gently led Epona into the cave. Once inside, Link helped Tetra off Epona and placed her down against the side of the cave. Epona laid down shaking her mane making water splash everywhere. Link gave a small, exhausted laugh as he pulled the bags off before dropping to lie against Epona's side.

Link only rested for a moment before pulling a blanket off and placing it on Tetra. Then, he went back and stood in front of the cave to keep watch. Rain poured heavily down outside and sometimes blew in his face, but he refused to move away.

"You know…" He heard Tetra speak up after a long silence. He turned his head to look over at her. "When it rains like this, I noticed they don't come out. You should rest… We'll be perfectly fine, I promise."

Link saw her give a smile which he hadn't seen since they began travelling together. He felt comfort in her words and smile making him be at ease.

"You look cold, though, so I don't mind if you sit with me under the blanket," Tetra suggested as she lifted up the blanket patting next to her. Link blinked at her invitation and sat down sitting right up against her. Tetra threw the blanket over them and laid her head against the back wall.

"Thank you," Link said as he stared outside. "You're quite kind to be patient with me."

"It-it's no problem, you idiot…" Tetra stuttered out with a mumble. Link smiled at her words before closing his eyes to sleep.

Link blinked open his eyes when light entered through the cave. He gave a yawn and looked around. All seemed alright and no harm had come to them. Epona was outside chewing on the grass. The rain had completely stopped with the only indication of it being there of the wetness around.

Link stretched some then stopped noticing Tetra's head against his shoulder. A smile came to his face as he looked down at her. Her long hair flowed around her face in a messy pattern. She looked peaceful as she slept making Link relax and feel happy. He watched her for a moment before giving a sigh knowing they would have to leave.

"Tetra, it's time to wake up," Link said as she gently pushed her head. She mumbled for a moment before sitting up straight and stretching out.

"Is it morning already…?" She asked yawning.

"Yup, and it seems to have stopped raining as well. Let's hurry."

Tetra nodded as she rubbed her eyes looking still asleep. Link grinned before helping her up and halfway carrying her over to Epona. Once she was on, Link attached the bags and grabbed his sword and shield before heading back out to the road. It was still wet and muddy, but Link was able to walk without falling this time.

Finally, after what felt like hours. Hope broke through the trees. Around the corner Link heard the bustling of people and knew that they had finally arrived at the Village of the Blue Maiden.

-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-oO0-o)0(o-0Oo-

Link has finally arrived at his next destination. He even encountered Tetra, a mysterious girl who strangely has ears similar to his. They survived through the Lost Woods without any bad encounters making it safely to the village. Will Link find the information he needs here about Hyrule? And will Tetra stay here leaving Link to travel the roads on his own again?


End file.
